21st Century Toys Ultimate Soldier 1:18 Xtreme Detail plastic armored vehicle. Fully finished and ready for play or display right out of the box. Suitable for teen and adult collectors.

Model Features:

Heavy Duty Plastic Construction

Detailed Control Surfaces and Panel Lines

Authentic Paint Scheme

Rotating Wheels and Tracks

Hinged Engine Bay Doors (Open or Closed)

Positionable Doors (Open or Closed)

Rotating .50 Cal Gun Carriage

Suitable for Light Play or Static Model

For ages 5 and Up

Length: 13"

Width: 5"

Significance to the War:
The U.S. half-track was first used in the Philippines where several initial design problems arose. The suspension was modified for increased reliability, but one of the main criticisms, the lack of overhead armor, was never changed throughout the life of the vehicle since the added weight decreased mobility. After the surrender of Bataan, several half-tracks were utilized in the Japanese army. In North Africa the half-track was improved with heavier road wheel springs and heavier springs for the rear idler. During the battle of the Kasserine Pass, several half-tracks were captured and used by the Germans. At the time of the invasion of Sicily, the half-track had settled into its role as an armored infantry transport vehicle that was able to deliver infantry closer to the battle since they were less vulnerable to rifle fire. The vehicle would hold supplies and infantry field equipment, leaving the infantry unencumbered by heavy field packs. The half-track was highly mobile and could follow tanks quite easily, unlike trucks which were more at home on the road. The half-track was often criticized as too lightly armored, but this could partially be attributed to abuse of the vehicle. Some units used the half-track as an armored assault vehicle which was not its role by design. The M2 and M3 half-tracks, the machine gun/armored personnel carrier versions of the vehicle, were widely used in the European theater. The German SdKfz 251 half-track was similar to the American half-track. The 251 had better armor protection, but the U.S. half-track had superior mobility with more horsepower, a driven front axle and a ditch roll. Half-tracks were also used as gun motor carriers or gun carriages, the most common being the gun motor carriage (tank destroyer), the Howitzer motor carriage, the mortar motor carriage and the multiple gun anti-aircraft motor carriage. The tank destroyer version of the half-track was marginally successful and eventually was replaced by the Sherman chassis based tank destroyers such as the M10. The M16 quadmount version of the half-track proved very successful and became the standard light anti-aircraft armored vehicle. Over 30,000 vehicles were produced during the war.

About the M16:
The M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage was a variant of the M3 halftrack that was fitted with an armored four gun turret in the rear fighting compartment. The M45 Maxson quad .50 mount was originally developed as an anti-aircraft weapon, but as the war ground to a close and air superiority kept the sky increasingly clear of axis fighter-bombers, the quad mount became more and more used in a ground fighting role. The blistering firepower (2,000 rounds per minute) of the four .50 caliber Browning M2 machine guns was used with devastating effect against soft-skinned vehicles and personnel. The M3 Halftrack was a reliable and highly effective halftrack, and continued to serve into the 1950s, again seeing action in the Korean War.